Piyush Goyal given additional charge of Paswan's portfolios

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal was on Friday given additional charge of the consumer affairs, food and public distribution ministry, a portfolio held by the late Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan.

A Rashtrapati Bhavan communique on Friday said President Ram Nath Kovind, on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, directed that Goyal be assigned the ministry in addition to his existing portfolios.

Paswan, one of India's most prominent Dalit leaders and eight-time Lok Sabha MP died on Thursday at the age of 74.

Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will represent the central government and the union council of ministers at the funeral of the veteran leader in Patna on Saturday.